Berne Kluber

In the wake of the disruptive ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline in early May 2021, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) issued two security directives to the pipeline industry. The first, Security Directive Pipeline-2021-01 (the “First Directive”), had an effective date of May 28, 2021, was sent directly to certain owners and operators of pipelines that TSA determined were critical and is now publicly available.

In a shot from beyond his presidency via Executive Order 13981 (signed on January 18, 2021, but published in the Federal Register after President Biden’s inauguration), Former President Trump wants government agencies and their contractors to scrutinize their UAS aircraft, controllers, and systems for software or critical electronic components manufactured by foreign adversaries, and either strip them out or replace their UAS. EO 13981: 1.

George Orwell raised the spectre of Big Brother peeking into all aspects of our lives. On Tuesday, January 5, 2021, President Trump upped the ante. By issuing Executive Order 13971 entitled, “Addressing the Threat Posed by Applications and Other Software Developed or Controlled by Chinese Companies,” he redefines Big Brother to include the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.